“How To Make Money Using Etsy” by Timothy Adam – Review and Giveaway

If you’ve been reading our blog, you’ve read how to improve your shop’s SEO with keywords, linking, and relevancy. You also read how to use Google Analytics to determine where your traffic is coming from and what to do with the information once you know.

I was given this book a few months ago and I took my time reading it cover to cover. I even tried a tip from the book before I decided to write this review.

But before I tell you what happened with my little experiment, let me tell you about the author, Tim Adam.

Tim has a shop on Etsy called, Timothy Adam Designs. Since opening his shop on Etsy in 2007, he has sold over 1900 items. But his accolade is not just the number of items he sold but other businesses he started, as a result of his success on Etsy. He has had numerous blogs and Etsy related sites. He also has a shop called Handmadeologybiz on Etsy where he teaches artists how to sell on Etsy. He was a ‘fixture’ on Etsy forum where I first ‘met’ Tim.

And because of his success on Etsy, he’s written this book to help those who might be thinking of selling on Etsy and those who just started selling on Etsy. But obviously, it’s not limited to newbies but also for anyone who wants to learn more about selling on Etsy or about marketing, in general.

The Book Review

I wasn’t sure how his book was going to approach selling on Etsy when I agreed to review it. You know how hard it is to be successful in any business, let alone, an online handmade business. So when I heard that Tim wrote ‘the book’ on making money on Etsy, I was really curious as to how he was going to approach the subject. I mean, I am certainly not a role model when it comes to selling on Etsy but still, I didn’t want to be told, “You’ll make a million bucks if you followed ‘these’ steps!”

I don’t think there is a magic bullet to being successful on Etsy and I was skeptical of those sellers who gave up their ‘day jobs’ to sell on Etsy full time. I think everyone’s situation is different and there is no one formula that fits every seller’s profile. So I was really intrigued about Tim’s approach.

“How to Make Money Using Etsy“ is a basic handbook on selling on Etsy. But if also covers supplemental issues of selling and marketing for any business. It is divided in topics on branding, four chapters on Etsy specific issues, blogging, social media and interviews from top Etsy sellers. It is a comprehensive guide to selling on Etsy but also as handmade business owners.

I loved how he covers everything that a present day eCommerce owners should be doing, such as blogging (he covers this topic at length – 60 pages of the book!) and marketing using social media. He also covers Google in detail as well, as much as he could in written form. He also helps you to set up Twitter and Facebook accounts and talks a bit about social media etiquette too.

But the book isn’t just Tim talking to you about what he knows. He interviewed many successful Etsy sellers, marketing gurus, and artists on being successful indie artists and crafters.

My Experiment

As I mentioned before, I experimented one of many Tim’s tips. It involved my blog and increasing readerships. I posted that I will buy a handmade item if readers left comments why I should buy from their shops. Of course, they had to sign up for my blog e-mail updates.

Then, I picked a commenter using Random.Org and I bought the item from that shop. Then, I reviewed it on my blog. But I also featured some of the commenters who didn’t win on another post.

Ash Cutting Board from Recycled Floorboard

The Result

More than 30 new readers signed up for my blog, I bought a beautiful recycled ash cutting board from a seller who recycles wood to make beautiful products, who, incidentally, now wants to join Eco Etsy team. (Yay!) Not only that, one of the commenters who didn’t win is an avid reader now on my blog, is a fan on my facebook and follows me on Twitter.

So, yeah; his marketing tip that I tried totally rocked! I will continue the “Green Handmade Crafter of the Month” type of promotion where I buy an item and review it on my blog occasionally, when the time allows. I’m so excited about that. It’s a small investment and an awesome way to promote and support green handmade indie sellers. I may venture out to non-Etsy sellers too if I know where they are.

So what do I think?

Since the book was published, and no fault of Tim’s, some things have changed a bit on Etsy. But you can still learn so much from this little book that I would highly recommend to new Etsy sellers or even seasoned sellers. Yeah, it takes a lot of work and he doesn’t sugar coat it and tells you how you can make millions but he tells you chapter-by-chapter steps on how to manage your business so that you don’t lose your mind.

Now here’s how you can win a copy.

Giveaway

Thanks to Tim’s generosity, we will pick TWO (2) winners for the giveaway.

You MUST be an e-mail subscriber to Eco Etsy blog.

You have to be 18 years old or older to enter the giveaway.

The giveaway is open WORLDWIDE.

Purchase is NOT necessary to enter the giveaway.

This giveaway will end at 11:59PM (EST), next Wednesday, September 7th, and TWO (2) winners will be announced on Thursday, September 8th.

Please leave your e-mail address in the box provided but DO NOT leave your e-mail address in the comment box. If you leave your e-mail address, the comment will be deleted.

The winner is responsible for shipping cost of the package. If you are a winner, contact Karen within 48 hours after the giveaway ends, and wait for instructions on how to claim your prize.

The Team Eco Etsy reserves the right to delete an entry if it does not follow the guidelines listed above.

Now, how to enter the giveaway. You can use any ONE of the following methods to enter.

Leave a comment what you struggle win on selling Etsy and what you would like to learn.

As a former Captain of Eco Etsy and one of the current leaders for the team, I am really excited to be hanging out with like minded team members to share ideas on how we can leave the least amount of carbon footprint.

Comments

Sadly I’ve been so divided on time that I’ve been saving up my posts to read in one big bunch and I saw the post with the winners of the giveaway before reading this one lol. Alas, not meant to be. But of course now I’m going to have to buy this book because it sounds like a great tool as I amp up my business ventures again! Congrats to Timothy on a successful book, and to the winners of the giveaway!

This is my first visit to your site and I love it! I subscribed and I will be back to peruse all the older posts. I haven’t got an Etsy shop yet, but I’m doing some research toward opening one. Thanks for all the great info!

I already follow the blog and like EcoEtsy and Handmadeology on facebook!

I struggle with technology…it is not my first language and the whole swirl of information technology bewilders me. So, I just go out and weed my garden….I’d like to conquer the technology and use it effectively so I don’t avoid it.

Hi Karen-
As part of the Eco Etsy Team I enjoy reading/hearing how others work to keep there stores fresh and visible to potential clients. My Etsy shop is not a full time venture for me but a great way for me to work on original, fun pieces and make a little spending money… mostly to put back into my art supplies, but also for holiday shopping…. which I love to do on Etsy!
So my biggest hurdle is staying current with trends to maintain visibility but also staying true to myself as an artist. And doing that on a part-time basis because I have mom/wife/professional illustrator duties as well.

I struggle with finding a good place to market and advertise outside of Etsy that caters to my demographic and is a worthwhile investment for the money. I would love to have this book to read and help me rise above the other sellers in my niche.

This book sounds really interesting. I am struggling to find my customers since I focus on the most enviromentally sound products that I can find. I am trying to reach those type of “green” folks that want clean burning soy candles and cruelty-free ingredients. I would love to learn more about the ins and outs of selling on ETSY! Thanks!

I would love to win the book! My struggle is getting a website put together. I like the ’60 pages of blogging instruction’! (or was it 40?). Anyway..this would help so I am throwing my hat in..By the way Stella I love your personalized lockets!!!

Thanks so much for this, Karen and Tim!
I struggle mostly with my prices–I feel that for the Etsy market, my hand-sewn locket prices may be too high in comparison to other handmade items that are similar, but I want to stick with them because I feel that they have to be priced that way because of labor and material costs, donation to charity, the pricier recycled packaging, AND because I still want to make a profit doing wholesale. Anyone else feel the same way?
Happy September, everyone!
Jennifer Shingelo

I’ve found it much more beneficial to look for customers outside of Etsy rather than focusing on other Etsy sellers. While it’s great to build camaraderie and community between Etsy sellers, who will of course sometimes be customers, one misses out on the entire rest of the world, in which your ideal customer could be hiding.

Find out who your customer is and go where they go. What magazines do they read, where do they shop, what blogs do they love, etc? Blog about things they like and they will find your blog. Advertise in things they read and places they go and they will find you. These are the things that have worked wonders for me, bringing huge amounts of customers and press to my website.